Harry Potter and the Return of Hogwarts
by karis j anderson
Summary: Harry returns to Hogwarts after many years to seek what he's lost. What he finds there is beyond his wildest dreams


The mist hung on the lake, fanning around the boat like cloudy fingertips, reaching. The occluded moon cast an eerie glow on the black waters below. Silently, the boat glided toward the far shore.

He sat alone in the boat. Many years had passed~too many for him to remember them all. Yet, after all of those years, he could never forget. How could he?

The foggy mist broke as the boat finally approached the shore, the moonlight casting the remains of a long abandoned castle in eerie shadow appropriate for Halloween night.

He got out of the boat and stared at what was once the proud castle known as Hogwarts.

Harry Potter took a deep breath and walked up toward the place that had molded him into the man he had become.

He stood before the giant carved doors, swallowing hard. It had been many years since he'd been here. He was an old man now. His hair was white, his beard long, though not as long as Dumbledore's. Still he retained a faded lightning bolt shaped scar that he'd received as a baby from the now vanquished Voldermort.

Harry grasped his wand tightly in his wrinkled hand~the same wand he'd gotten as a boy that first day in Diagon Alley. It had served him well, from his days at Hogwarts and the events that happened there until now.

Taking a deep breath, he used all of his strength to push the heavy doors to the castle open.

"Lumos Maximus!"

What had once been the grand staircase illuminated. Harry could see what was left of the enchanted paintings that once adorned the walls now hanging in ruin, their inhabitants gone. He turned and walked toward the darkened great hall.

"Lumos Maximus!"

The enchanted ceiling that always mirrored the weather now lay bare, ordinary wooden beams straining under their age to hold up the portions of the ceiling that had not caved in. The long tables, once lined up in four neat rows lay in ruin. Harry couldn't help but remember how the Great Hall had looked during his years at Hogwarts. He closed his eyes, picturing the floating candles that illuminated it, the hundreds of jack-o-lanterns carved from the giant pumpkins Hagrid would grow down at the gamekeepers cottage that would decorate the hall on Halloween.

"Are you picturing it too?"

Harry jumped and turned, wand poised.

Hermoine Weasley stood in the doorway, hands clasped in front of her. "You can't help but think about the way the place used to be, how magnificent it was, especially tonight."

"Halloween was always the best time here, wasn't it?"

Her hair was silver now, pulled into a twisted knot at the back of her head in an attempt to control the bushiness that never left. Her face, though lined, retained the beauty she'd held during youth.

"Hermoine." Harry's voice was stern. "I thought I told you not to come here?"

"Did you really think that I would let you come here alone, Harry?"

"It's not safe for you here."

"It's not safe for you either." She crossed her arms over her chest, a defiant gesture she'd used since Harry'd first met her at Hogwarts.

"You know the danger is greater for you." His voice softened.

"Harry…we are talking about my husband and my son." He could see tears welling up in her eyes. "You out of everyone else should know what it feels like to loose those you love most."

Harry winced. He did indeed know. "Very well. Do you have your wand?" He knew that there would be no changing her mind.

"Of course I do." She pulled it out of her pocket. "Did you think I would come here without it?"

Of course she wouldn't.

"Good. Then we need to get on with this."

"Where shall we start first?" She asked as they walked out of the great hall and stood in the hallway.

"The dungeons."

Hermoine stopped, looking around.

"Everything is gone, Harry. From the house elves to the witches in the pictures."

"When Hogwarts fell, they were all cast out. Even Peeves and the ghosts."

"Where'd they go?"

"No one knows."

"Are they…gone?"

Harry didn't answer. Instead, he led her to the door leading down to the dungeons, where Severus Snape used to teach his potions classes, where the Slytherin dorms used to be.

"Harry!" A long forgotten voice called to him from the door the Hufflepuffs used to reach their dorms.

Harry and Hermoine stopped in their tracks, frozen in place.

Slowly they turned.

"We've been waiting for you."

Standing, smiling in front of the open Hufflepuff door was the ghost of Cedric Diggory, looking exactly as both Harry and Hermoine remembered him~young and handsome. Standing next to him holding his hand was Cho Chang, as young and as beautiful as she had been during their time at Hogwarts. Both wore their house robes.

"C-Cedric?" Harry's voice was disbelieving, for all of the ghosts had been forced from Hogwarts.

The ghost of Cedric nodded, still smiling. "In the flesh~well, sort of."

"Hello Hermoine." Cho waved her fingers as Hermoine stared open mouthed at them.

"This…isn't possible."

"But it is, Harry!" Cedric took a step forward.

Harry and Hermoine took a step back.

"I'd stay put if I were you." Harry had his wand at the ready.

"After all we've been through together, Harry?" Cedric looked hurt. "You do realize that I could have killed you outright in the maze had I wanted to? I'm Hufflepuff. Even now, all these years later, I'm still Hufflepuff. I would never harm a friend, not even as a ghost."

"I..I'm sorry, Cedric. This is just…" Harry's voice trailed off.

"I know." Cedric and Cho moved quietly over to the formerly grand staircase and sat down, beckoning Harry and Hermoine to join them. "Sit down, for goodness sakes, before you both fall down. You're both two years below me yet you look to be Dumbledore's age." He smiled warmly. It was the same smile he'd had in life.

"Unlike you, Cedric, Harry and I have had no other choice but to grow older." Hermoine sniffed.

"Look, I know why you're both here."

"Do you now?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, we do." Cho nodded.

"You…you're not a ghost, are you Cho?"

"No, Harry, I'm not." She reached out and took his hand.

"This isn't possible." Harry looked down with wonder at her young hand in his old one. "We are the same age."

"It is possible, Harry."

"But it's only possible on Halloween." Cedric wrapped a ghostly arm around Cho.

"You must hurry, Harry." Cho sounded urgent.

"Hurry where?" Hermoine looked anxious. "What do you know of my husband and son?"

"We know everything." They spoke together.

"Stop speaking cryptically and tell us!" Panic was seeping into Hermoine's voice.

"We cannot tell you." Cedric shook his head. "But we can direct you." He smiled at Harry. "Kind of like back during the Triwizard Tournament, eh Harry?"

Harry had spent his long life trying to forget the Triwizard Tournament. It was during that time that Cedric had lost his life while Voldermort had regained his.

"Yes, we did help one another during that time, didn't we, Cedric. So will you help me now?"

"Of course I will."

"Then, tell me, Cedric, please. Have you seen Ron and Hugo?" Hermoine grabbed Harry's arm tightly at the mention of her husband and son.

"You will find what you seek in the Gryffindor Tower."

"Ron is in the Gryffindor Tower?" Harry looked at Cedric questioningly. "Is he hurt? Or is he being held captive?"

"Is the tower enchanted?" Hermoine's grip tightened on Harry's arm.

"Oh, it's enchanted, but not in the way you think." Cedric smiled widely. "You'll want to hurry, old sport. There's a Quidditch match tomorrow night."

Harry looked dumbfounded. "What do you mean?"

"Can't tell you." Cedric and Cho stood up. "Now, excuse us, but we've got to go. There's a party in full swing in the Hufflepuff dorms."

"A…party?" Hermoine and Harry had stood as well.

Cho smiled. "Yes. We'll see you tonight in the Great Hall for Halloween dinner." She waved again as she and Cedric turned and walked to the Hufflepuff dorms door. Cedric graciously opened the door, ushering Cho in ahead of him, then turned one last time to smile at Harry and Hermoine before closing the door behind him.

For a moment, Harry and Hermoine stood in stunned silence, staring at the closed door.

"Did we hallucinate that?"

"I…I don't think so." Harry shook his head, trying to clear it.

"Is there enchantment here, Harry?"

"Yes, there is, but…it's not evil. Not that I can tell anyway."

"Harry, you and Ron were once a great Aurors. I can't imagine either of you being taken in by charms and enchantments. Can you?"

"No, that's why Ron's disappearance is so disturbing, Hermoine. Ron of all people would know if he were walking into a trap."

Harry moved to start up the once grand staircase, but Hermoine stopped him.

"Are you certain?" Her face was filled with the same doubt and fear that Harry felt. Doubt that they would find Ron up in the Gryffindor Tower, fear that they would.

"Yes. You heard what Cedric said, that we would find what we sought in the Gryffindor Tower." He tried to sound sure.

"But…how do you know you can believe him? How do you know he's not some sort of spell?"

"Because Cedric Diggory would never lie to me. What he said was true. He could have killed me in that maze any time he wanted to. No one would have known. No one would have even questioned it. People died during Triwizard Tournaments, Hermoine."

"Conversely, YOU could have killed Cedric and the same would have applied."

Harry shook his head. "No, Cedric was two years above of me. He was a much more talented wizard than I was at that point. He was a prefect. I would have been no match for him, and no one would have ever suspected that he'd killed me."

Hermoine let out a long breath. "Well, then, if you trust Cedric and his ghost so much, I suggest that we start up. We aren't fifteen anymore and the Gryffindor Tower is a long climb up."

They started that long climb up in silence, pausing every so often to rest.

"I don't remember there being so many stairs." Harry leaned against the wall to rest, his old legs feeling like jelly.

"We were young, Harry. Young and obviously either incredibly stupid or in incredibly good shape."

When they'd gotten their breath back, they set out up the stairs again.

"One thing...bothers me…" Hermoine puffed as they climbed more slowly now than when they'd begun.

"Cho."

"Yes. You too?"

"How could…" Harry paused on the stairs to catch his breath. "How could it not? She looked exactly the same as when I asked her to the Yule Ball."

"A charm perhaps?"

"That would be a mighty strong charm."

"Polyjuice potion?"

"Doesn't work to restore youth."

What then? What if this is a massive trap, Harry? You and Ron were Aurors. Surely you have enemies out there somewhere."

"We were lured here, I'm sure of it. But I don't think we were lured here out of malice."

"What then? Good intentions?"

"As unbelievable as it sounds…yes."

She stared at him in disbelief. "That's preposterous."

"I told you not to come, Hermoine." Harry started back up the stairs with Hermoine hot on his heels.

"And you knew I wouldn't let you come alone."

Harry took a deep breath, stopping in front of the secret passageway to the Gryffindor Tower that had once been guarded by a painting of a fat lady. "It serves no one for us to be fighting like this. Let's just get to the tower and see for ourselves, shall we?"

She looked like a child who'd been chastised. "Ok. Harry…I'm sorry. It's just…it's been so…it's been horrible. You don't understand."

"Don't I?" His voice was harsh. "Don't I understand what it's like to have a loved one disappear?"

"I'm sorry. I guess in my own grief and fear I'd forgotten."

The only thing found to be guarding the hole to the Gryffindor Tower was an empty picture frame. Harry pulled it back and stuck his head through the hole into the darkness. He held his wand out.

"Lumos Maximus!"

The Gryffindor common room was much the same as the rest of the castle that they had encountered: in ruin.

Hermoine peered over his shoulder. "There's nothing here." She could not hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Not to the naked eye…" His voice trailed off. "We have to enter fully."

"What? Harry, I'm not liking this. This is some sort of trap! I bet Ron and Hugo aren't even here."

"No, they are. I feel it. Stay here."

Harry began to step through the passageway into the common room.

"I'm coming too."

Harry knew better than to argue with her. He stepped through into the dark room, then turned back to the opening to help Hermoine through.

When they turned to face the room, something amazing happened.

Gone was the dark, ruined room.

In its place was the Gryffindor common room exactly as they had remembered it. The plush chairs, tables, and lamps were all as they had been when they'd attended Hogwarts. Even a warm fire was roaring.

The room, however, was not empty.

A party was in full swing in the Gryffindor common room.

Hermoine and Harry looked around, mouths agape.

Over in a corner, whispering and giggling, they could see Lee Jordan with Katie Bell. Parvati Patil sat on the sofa in front of the fire between Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan. Music played loudly from the same radio that it had played from all those years before, when Harry and Hermoine were students. On the far side of the room, Harry spotted George Weasley dancing with his wife Angelina Johnson. The common room was full to bursting with former classmates of theirs, each looking exactly as they had when they'd attended Hogwarts together so many years before.

The sight of Charlie Weasley coming down the stairs to the dorm rooms broke Harry from his stupor. He tugged on Heroine's sweater and motioned to her to follow him.

As they moved around the room, they were greeted by friends.

"Hi Harry."

"How've you been Hermione?"

"Long time, Harry."

"Hermoine you look lovely."

The greetings followed them like a chorus until they reached Charlie Weasley, sitting in a chair and reading a book among the chaos.

"What took the two of you so long?" He snapped the book shut and stood up. Charlie Weasley looked exactly as they remembered him, with long red hair and an earring with a dragon fang in it.

"What took us…what…Charlie, what's going on? Where's Ron?" Hermoine's voice was close to hysterical and she was trembling.

Harry wrapped an arm around her.

"Charlie…what is this?"

"It's a party, Harry!" George Weasley had joined them. Like all of the others, he looked exactly as he had during their days at Hogwarts. He motioned with his hands, which each held a bottle of butterbeer. "Butterbeer's on the table. Help yourselves!" He strode away to where Fleur sat waiting for him.

"This…this is impossible." Hermoine shook her head. "I must have fallen and hit my head"

"I can assure you that you're fine, Hermoine." Charlie smiled. "You both will find what you seek up in your old dorm room, Harry." He gestured toward the stairs.

"Charlie…how…how is this possible?" Harry asked.

"All will be explained. Now, go on! Get up those stairs! It's been long enough!"

Cautiously, Harry and Hermoine climbed the stairs that led to the boys dorms and found their way to the room that Harry had shared with Ron and Neville Longbottom during his years in school.

They stopped in front of the door.

"Harry I'm frightened."

He looked at her. "I am too but you have to admit this is intriguing."

"What if they're all dead? What if they're all ghosts?"

"If they were ghosts, they'd all be like Nearly Headless Nick or Cedric. We would be able to see through them. But they're not. They're all flesh and blood. Just younger than when we last saw then."

"That doesn't scare you?"

"Of course it does, Hermoine. But…but we have to see what's behind this door. What we seek is in this room."

She took a breath and nodded her head. "Go on then. Go on and open that door."

Harry gripped the doorknob tightly, hesitating for a moment before turning it and pushing the door open.

"There they are now. Finally! We have been waiting here forever!"

Sitting on the bed that he'd occupied back in school and wearing one of Molly Weasley's Christmas sweaters was Ron Weasley. Like the others, Ron looked just as he had years before.

"Ron!" Hermoine flew to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. "What have you been? What has happened to you? Why didn't you call me?" She pulled away from him and swatting lightly at his shoulder. "You scared me half to death! I've been worried sick! Don't you ever do this to me again! Where is Hugo?"

"Calm down already. Everything is as it's supposed to be. Hugo is probably in the library. He does take after you, you know."

"The library? But that's not possible. Everything in this castle is in ruin."

"Harry, the castle isn't in ruin. Not at all. It's exactly as it was back when we went here."

"I saw it Ron. I saw the devastation."

"You saw what you were supposed to see. Remember when we went here? Only wizards and witches could see Hogwarts. It had an enchantment on it. Well, that's still in place." Ron wrapped his arm around his wife and cuddled her close. "I hate to say it, but I've missed you."

Harry looked displeased by the explanation. "I'm a wizard and Hermoine is a witch. Neither of us saw Hogwarts as it was, Ron. You and I both witnessed the destruction of this castle."

"You and I witnessed what we were supposed to see."

"You keep saying that, but it makes no sense."

"Dad?"

Harry's face went pale. He whirled around to face the door.

Standing in front of him was his son, James Sirius.

"Dad! You finally made it!" He threw his arms around Harry, hugging him tightly.

Harry pulled away. Grabbing James by the arms and holding him firmly. "I thought you were dead."

"Dead? Not bloody likely." He smiled a rakish grin not unlike his fathers.

Harry swallowed hard. "Your…your mother?"

"She's up in her room. When she heard you'd finally arrived, she went to fix herself up. As if Mum could ever not be beautiful."

Harry touched James' face. "How is this possible? When I saw you last, you were a middle aged man. Now you're a fresh faced boy."

James smiled at his father. "Magic."

"But I don't understand," Hermoine was looking at Ron. "How did you know to come here?"

Ron leaned back on his bed. "Well, we don't exactly know when to come, you know? It's more like something brings us here. Kind of like you and Harry. Searching for Hugo and I brought you here."

Harry nodded slowly. "Why didn't Ginny and James draw me here?"

"Oh, there was no connection for that. You had no reason to believe they had come here. They were on holiday traveling the countryside. You had no way of knowing they had decided to detour and visit Hogwarts one last time."

"True."

"But you knew that I was chasing a wizard who'd last been spotted around the ruins of Hogwarts~the same wizard that Hugo'd disappeared searching for. Hogwarts was an obvious starting point."

"True."

"Dad, come on! Let's go down and wait for Mum! She's so excited that you've finally come!"

"Why…why didn't any of you contact us? Why didn't you call or come back and get us?" Harry was still confused.

"Yes." Hermoine looked at Ron. "You had to know that I'd be sick with worry. Why didn't you come home? Or at least call?"

"We can't."

"What do you mean you can't?"

"He means we can't leave the grounds." James said.

"You both had to find your way back here on your own. We all found our way back on our own." Ron continued.

"But…I don't understand. Why are we being brought back here? Why are we being brought back in time?"

"We're not being brought back in time. It's still the same time. It's just kind of like the clock's been turned back on our bodies. We're kids again, but without having to go to classes or do homework. I have no complaints." Ron lay back with his arms behind his head.

"You have no complaints? Ron, you've been missing for months! Didn't you ever consider me?" Hermoine was incredulous.

"Of course I did, but I knew that you'd find your way here." He pulled her down so that her head lay on his chest. "It'll be great, Hermoine. We'll be young gain. You won't have any of the aches and pains you always wake up with. You'll see."

"Come on, Dad. Mum will be wondering what's happened." James started out the door and down the stairs. Harry looked at Ron and Hermoine then turned and followed his son.

The party down in the common room was still going. If it were at all possible, Harry thought it had gotten even louder and more crowded. James led him over to a plush chair in an empty corner and Harry sat down, watching his old school mates enjoying themselves.

"Harry!"

Neville Longbottom found his way over. "It's about time you got here! Everyone's been wondering when Harry Potter would come back! In fact, Hannah mentioned it to me just the other night! Of course I told her I knew you would be here soon and here you are!" Neville turned and looked toward the staircase that led to the girl's dorms and smiled. "And here comes your lovely wife! I'll see you later!"

Neville disappeared into the crowd, but Harry hardly noticed. He was too enthralled by the sight of his wife moving toward him.

Ginny Potter looked exactly like she had all those years ago, back when Harry had first fallen in love with her. Her red hair glowed in the dim light. Her face was fresh and young. Her smile still captivated him and made his heart leap.

"Harry!" She ran toward him.

"Ginny!" Harry stood from the chair just in time to catch his wife as she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "I've missed you so much." His lips met hers with a fire that he hadn't felt in years.

When they broke the kiss, Ginny looked up at him and smiled "Well, if that's the way you're going to greet me, I should go away without you more often."

"I have you now and I'm never going to let you out of my sight again." Harry hugged her tightly.

"I never want to let you out of my sight again either. Oh Harry! Just think! We'll be young again! Isn't it wonderful?"

It was wonderful, that was something Harry could not deny.

"Come on, it's time for the Halloween feast!" Ginny took his hand and led him into the middle of the party as the Gryffindor house seamlessly moved out of their tower, heading to the ruined Great Hall.

Only the Great Hall wasn't ruined. Neither was the rest of the great castle. For as they walked, Harry could see that everything in Hogwarts was exactly as it had been all those years ago. As they filed down the grand staircase toward the Great Hall, the Gryffindor's started mingling with the other houses. With each step he took, it seemed that someone was calling at him. People from Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and even Slytherin greeted him happily.

When they entered the Great Hall, Harry and Hermoine stopped short. Gone was the destroyed hall that they had been in earlier. What they walked into was the Great Hall in all of its glory. The long tables belonging to each house were set with glittering gold plates and goblets. High above them, the enchanted roof reflected a clear, starry night while swarms of bats fluttered below it. Countless candles and jack-o-lanterns floated over the tables, illuminating the hall. And at the front of the room, as there had always been, stood the staff table, with all of the teachers that Harry had loved, including the ghost of Severus Snape. Hagrid, in all his hairy hugeness and moleskin coat, waved at Harry and Hermoine. They smiled and waved back. Then, Albus Dumbledore himself stood, beckoning them forward.

Feeling like they had their first day at Hogwarts, Harry and Hermoine slowly walked down the length of the long hall toward Dumbledore as those seated at the tables applauded and cheered. Harry even saw the blonde head of Draco Malfoy bobbing with approval as he clapped and cheered for them.

"This isn't possible." Hermoine whispered to him. "We saw Dumbledore die."

"I don't know what's at play here, Hermoine, but whatever it is, it's powerful magic. The only person I've ever known who can make this sort of magic is Dumbledore."

They reached the teachers table, and Professor McGonagall walked over and placed a small wooden stool in front of Dumbledore. On it sat the Sorting Hat.

"Welcome. Our family would never be complete without you. When you first came to Hogwarts, you were sorted. Now, upon your return, you will again be sorted. Professor?"

Professor McGonagall stood next to the stool and picked up the Sorting Hat.

"Miss Granger, if you will." She motioned for Hermoine to sit and placed the hat on her head. "The hat will sort you. It is up to you whether you accept or decline. Understood?"

Hermoine nodded and the hat slipped down over her eyes. Hermoine listened to what it said and in a low voice replied "Yes, I will."

Harry couldn't believe his eyes when the hat was removed from her head. Hermoine had sat down as a silver haired old woman. The Hermoine who sat there now was young, with her brown bushy hair and smooth unlined face.

"THAT'S MY GIRL!" Ron whooped from the Gryffindore table and Hermoine ran like the young girl she was into her husbands waiting arms. Ron swung her around and when he put her down, Hugo was there to pick her up again.

"You're next, Potter." Professor McGonagall smiled at him. He took his seat and the hat was slipped onto his head. "Just like with Miss Granger, the choice is yours, Potter."

Harry nodded and the hat slipped over his eyes. He heard it sing to him.

"_In Gryffindor you were before_

_Then real life took you away_

_But now you're back at Hogwarts_

_And Gryffindor you'll be once more_

_But now you'll have to stay"_

Harry nodded his head. "Yes, yes I will." He whispered to the hat.

Professor McGonagall began to pull the hat from his head. Harry felt his skin seemingly pulling up from his body with the hat. When the hat was off his head, he looked down at his hands. Gone were the wrinkes, the gnarled knuckles of an old man. In it's place were the hands of his youth. He looked up at Dumbledore, who smiled down at him.

"Your wife and son are waiting for you, Harry." Harry could hardly hear him over the cheers filling the room. He nodded and stood up, running like a young boy to where Ginny and James stood cheering for him.

They feasted on Yorkshire Pudding and stew. They ate cakes and toasted with pumpkin juice. When the feast was over, they all began to file out of the Great Hall.

All except for Harry.

Instead, Harry found his way over to Dumbledore.

"You want to know what has happened, don't you Harry?"

"That would be nice, Professor."

"When was the happiest time of your life, Harry?"

"My time here, sir."

"Mine too. You see Harry, before I died, I cast a spell on this place. It was that spell that allows me to be here now. Once everyone in the building at the time of my death reached a certain point in their lives, they would find their way back here on Halloween. Once here, they would be given the choice to return to what they were the day I died. The only requirement was that they never leave Hogwarts once they returned. If they declined, they return to their lives and live their natural course. The magic isn't strong enough to withstand leaving the grounds. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded. "I do Professor, but…I was here. I saw Hogwarts destroyed by an evil curse."

"You saw the illusion that I wanted you to see, Harry. We couldn't stay here as long as it remained a school for wizards. So I had to enchant it. What you saw was merely the enchantment working."

"But why? Why did you do this?"

"I did it because I love all of you. The only reason it works is because you all loved me too. The greatest magic of all is love, Harry. Never forget that."

Harry looked out at the Great Hall, where Hermoine sat on Ron's lap, kissing him to Hugo's great discomfort. Across from them sat Ginny and James, arms wrapped around each other.

"The others will all find their way here in their own time, Harry. Each of them will."

Harry smiled. "Thank you, Professor."

"Thank _you_, Harry. Now, go and be with your family. I understand there's a quidditch match tomorrow."


End file.
